Telegraph switching apparatus.



m5. 653,94l. Patented luly I7, 1900.

.1. F. sxmnow. TELEGRAPH SWITCHING APPARATUS.

. (Application filed Jan. 5, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Shaet l.

WlTNESSES: mv TOR X WM' WW1? M exam-:19 5

ATTORNEY m: nonsus PETERS co. Pavia-Una. wnsnmu'mra u. c,

Patented July :7, I900..

No. 653,941. F. sxmnow.

TELEGRAPH SWITCHING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jan. 5, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheef 2.

WITNESSES: XWWM IN ENTOR ATTORNEY m: nonm: PETERS cu. Pnmouwa, wnsmnomu,n c.

No. 653,941. Patented July 17, I900. J. F. SKIRBOW."

TELEGRAPH SWITCHING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jan. 5, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets--Sheet 3,

' ATTORNEY THE Nunms PETERS c0 Pnc'ro-umou wnswumou. my a.

No. 653,944 Patented July l7, I900. J. F. SKIRRUW. TELEGRAPH SWITCHINGAPPARATUS.

(Applieation tiled in. s. 1900. (In Iodel.) 4 Sheets--Sheet 4.

WITNESSES:

WMM

INV TOR ATTORNEY Nrrnn STATES PATE T OFFICE.

JOHN F. SKIRROW', OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

TELEGRAPH SWITCHING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,941, dated July 17,1900.

Application filed January 5, 1900. Serial No. 424. (No model.)

T0 a'ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. SKIRROW, a citizen of the United States,residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex, State of New Jersey,have made certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraph SwitchingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the connection of a branch telegraph-officelocated "on a loop with a main telegraph-wire at a main station oroffice.

The object of my invention is to provide means for throwing out eitherside of a dam aged loop and working a ground-return circuit in placethereof and to make such change in connection mechanically or withoutthe employment of any but the most ordinary skill at the substation.

I provide a jack-plug having two contactpoints on its spindle, whichform the terminals of the Morse instruments, and a springjack having aseries of contact-points registering with the plug-contacts. Th ere arefour points arranged to be connected in pairs. When the plug is inserteda fixed distance the first positionconnection is made with one pair ofcontacts and the instrument is included in the loop. Upon the occurrenceof a line trouble or disturbance the plug is inserted to a furtherextentthe second positionthe loop is opened, and the main battery isshort circuited, causing a normallyirresponsive indicating instrument atthe main station to attract attention. Upon a further insertion of theplug-the third positionconnection is made with one side of the looponly, circuit passing through the sub station instrument to the ground,and upon a further insertion-the fourth positionthe same connection ismade with the other side of the 1oopthis is assuming that the first sideof the loop is in troublether main-station operator at the proper timemaking necessary changes in connections.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 shows the main-station switchboard and annunciator with theloop to the substation-switch and instrument all in normal position.Fig. 2 shows the same elements. The switch-plug at the substation beingin its second position opens the loop and grounds the main batterythrough the annunciator at the main station. Fig. 3 shows the sameelements. The switch-plug at the substation in its third positiongrounds one side of the loop, the main battery at the main station isthrown out and an intermediate battery inserted. Fig. 4t shows the sameelements with the switch-plug at the substation in its fourth position,the main battery at the main station thrown out, an intermediate batteryintroduced, and the second side of the loop grounded through thesubstation instrument, the arrangement being similar to Fig. 3, but substituting the second side of the loop for the first side.

In Fig. 1, Z) is the switchboard of the main Station; j,the'spring-jack; m, the main battery. 2 is the main-line Wire. A loop 34 on a wedge w is in the spring-jack There is also an annunciator Ct,adjusted so as not to respond to the normal strength of current; but inthe event of an increased strength of current, as by short-circuitingthe main battery at the substation, the annunciator a is dropped. Theinstruments 8 at the substation are connected to a spring-jack plughaving two contacts 9 and 10. There is a springjack having four contactsso located in respect to each other and to the contacts 9 and 10 of theplugp that they may be connected in four different pairs. Thespring-jack is in a box of insulating material it and has a contact 5,formed of an L-shaped piece of rigid metal with a perforation in theshorter arm, through which the plug 19 passes. Fixed to this contact 5and electrically connected with it is a spring-contact 7. The contacts 5and 7 are connected to one side 3 of the loop. 6 is a spring-contactconnected with the side 4. of the loop. 8 is a spring-contact connectedto the ground-wire g. The switch-plug 10 has a pin q projecting from itssurface, and this travels in the helical groove or passage in the metalcylinder 0, surrounding the plug-hole and fixed to the case n. The plug19 is capable of taking four separate positions and making fourdifferent connections. These positions are marked on the line of thehelical passage in cylinder 0, and when the pin g on plug 10 registerswith either of these numerals l 2 3 4 the connection corresponding tothe numeral is secured.

In Fig. 1 the instruments and conductors are in their normal position,circuit passing through the main conductor 2, by wedge 10 4t 6 9 s 10 53, annunciator a, through the board 1), battery m, to earth. In Fig. 2it is assumed that an interruption has occurred. The substation-operatorpasses the plug 10 to the second position, the pin q registering withthe scale-mark 2. The spring-contact 6 rests upon an insulated sectionof the plug t'. Theloopline 4 is open, and circuit is made from thegrounded main battery m through the switchboard,annu nciatora,loop-conductor 3,springcontact 7, plug-contact 9, spring'contact 8,ground-wire g. The increased strength of current drops the annunciatora. The mainstation operator cuts in and cooperates with the substation.Thesubstation-operatorwithout further delay passes the plug 19 to thethird position, as shown in Fig. 3, the pin q and scale-mark 3registering. Circuit now passes from main line 2, through intermedi atebattery e on the wedge w, conductor 3 of the loop, to the contact 5,plug-contact l0, instrument 8 to plug-contact 9, spring-contact 8, andground-wire g, the main station appearing as a way-station with anintermediate battery. This is assu ming that the conductor 4 of the loopis in trouble. Assuming that conductor 3 of the loop is in trouble, thesubstation-operator pushes plug 19 to its fourth position, pin q andmark 4 of the scale registering. Circuit passes from main line 2,battery-wedge to, through the battery 6 to conductor 4 of the loop,spring-contact 6, plugcontact 10, instrument 8 to plug-contact 9,ground-contact 8, ground-wire g. Line trouble, such as a ground orescape, may thus be rendered inefiective to interrupt the use of theloop. A break on the loop on side 4would be reported by the substationoperator applying the ground connection, and thus dropping theannunciator a. The main station would then turn wedge 10 over and insertbattery 6, as shown in Fig. 3. If a break occurred on side 3 of theloop, the substation would apply the ground-contact and continue tosignal to the distant station, working on the distant-stationbattery-section alone or the main station would notice the cessation inoperation due to the break and insert the intermediate battery 6, asshown in Fig. 4.

Instead of employing the intermediate battery e at the main station themain batterym might be retained in use and an automatic repeaterintroduced between the undamaged conductor 3 or 4 of the loop and themain line 2. It is to be noticed that by this arrangement a class ofoperators having sufticientv skill to transmit and receive by means ofthe Morse alphabet may be employed at substations, such as brokersoffices, and may make the necessary changes to secure the benefits ofemploying either side of the loop alone without skill orinstruction inthe manipula tion of Wires and circuits.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A main telegraph-line, a main station, a loop connected in said lineat the main station extending to a substation, a multiple-contactspring-jack at the substation having its first and second contact-pointsconnected to the two sides of the loop, respectively, and its third andfourth points connected to one side of said loop and the ground,respectively; in combination with a j ack-plug having two con tactsforming the respective terminals of suitable telegraphic apparatus, saidplug being capable of taking three separate contact positions; first,registering with the first and second jack-contacts, connecting theinstrument into the loop; second, registering with the first and fourthj ack-contacts, connecting the instrument into the first grounded sideof the loop; and third, registering with the second and fourthjack-contacts, connecting the instrument into the second grounded sideof the loop.

2. The combination of a main telegraph circuit, a main station, a loopinsaid line at the main station extending to a substation, anelectromagnet at the main station irresponsive to normal currentimpulses, connected in the main line between said loop and main battery,a jack-plug having a pair of contacts forming terminals of suitabletelegraphic ap= paratus at the substation, a spring-jack therefor havinga pair of separable contact-points forming, respectively, the terminalsof the loop, and a pair of separated contacts connected to one side ofsaid loop and a ground return, respectively, said separated contactsbeing located in close proximity whereby a plug-contact in passing fromone registering pair ofjack-contacts to the other connects thegroundcontact and loop-contact together to short-circuit and operate themagnet at the main station.

JOHN F. SKIRROVV.

lVitnesses:

THEODORE L. GUYLER, Jr., ANNA M. DONLEVY.

